Published: January 27, 2022 | Share This

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A pair of leases to mine copper and nickel near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) have been canceled by the Biden administration, leaving Twin Metals out in the cold… at least temporarily.

The decision was announced Wednesday by the Department of the Interior, overturning a decision to reinstate the mining leases by the Trump administration. Principal Deputy Solicitor Ann Bledsoe Downs ruled that the leases, granted in the spring of 2019, improperly violated department regulations and renewal terms.

Bledsoe Downs also said the DOI “may not diminish or bypass the Forest Service’s statutory consent authority over federal solid mineral leasing decisions in Minnesota,” including when it comes to decisions about renewing mining leases.

Environmental groups have strongly opposed mining in the area adjacent to the BWCA, saying run-off from the proposed Twin Metals Minnesota mine would flow into the pristine waters of the wilderness area with the potential of permanent damage to the ecosystem.

The ruling does not sit well with mining proponents, however, including Representative Pete Stauber, a Republican who represents the Iron Range. He said Twin Metals deserves the opportunity for a full environmental review, which has been ongoing since the company first proposed the mining project in 2019.

“And the Biden administration seemed fit to, again, put politics over the facts, the truth, and the science. The mine, it’s a 21st-century mine. Anti-mining, anti-jobs folks, just don’t seem to understand that and we’re going to continue to push,” Stauber said in an interview.

In earlier documents filed with the state, Twin Metals had disputed that its project would risk acid mine drainage to the boundary waters and predicted it would create at least 700 full-time positions. In all, the company had already invested more than $400 million.

Brian Hanson, chair of the group “Jobs for Minnesotans,” said the Biden administration made a mistake canceling the leases and that the mine could uncover critical minerals to supply windmills and solar panels.

“Especially at a time where we’re trying to deal with climate change and have a clean energy future, we need these minerals. The company doesn’t have any choice but to go to court,” Hanson said.

Indeed, Twin Metals said in a statement that “we will challenge this attempt to stop our project and defend our valid existing mineral rights. We expect to prevail.”

The company continued: “This is not about law; this is a political action intended to stop the Twin Metals project without conducting the environmental review prescribed in law.”

Source: KARE 11

About Twin Metals Minnesota
Twin Metals Minnesota is a Minnesota company focused on designing, constructing and operating an underground copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals mining project in northeast Minnesota. The TMM project brings the promise of significant long-term jobs and environmentally responsible economic development for generations in Minnesota. Twin Metals is owned by Antofagasta plc, one of the top ten copper producers in the world.

To stop by Twin Metals’ website, CLICK HERE

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